At this time last season, the Chicago Bears were sorting through their options at multiple positions, not the least of which was wide receiver.<\/p>\n
They even made a mid-season trade<\/a> with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Chase Claypool<\/a> to address the issue but he \u2013 like many of his new teammates \u2013 took some time to get acclimated with the playbook and had an injury disrupt his progress.<\/p>\n This offseason, they traded for D.J. Moore<\/a> and drafted Tyler Scott<\/a> at wide receiver, and added Robert Tonyan<\/a> in free agency. This new group of weapons not only bolsters the Bears\u2019 arsenal around third-year quarterback Justin Fields<\/a> in their own right but they also allow everyone else to slot into more advantageous positions.<\/p>\n The early results are palpable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be able to spread the ball around, get guys in different spots, move them all over the field,\u201d Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy<\/a> said after practice on August 2. \u201cWe\u2019re still figuring out what every single person can do.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to Claypool, Moore, and Tonyan \u2013 who is built more like a big wide receiver than a tight end \u2013 the Bears also bring back a healthy Darnell Mooney<\/a> and a properly-slotted Equanimeous St. Brown<\/a> at wideout.<\/p>\n They also have D\u2019Onta Foreman<\/a> taking reps at running back with incumbent Khalil Herbert<\/a>.<\/p>\n Each piece looks and fits differently but the Bears are out to change that as much as possible in camp.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want guys to be able to do as much as we can,\u201d said Getsy. \u201cSo we don\u2019t want guys getting stuck in one spot, and the defense being able to play to that. That\u2019s very valuable to us to be able to do that. And it\u2019s important that we have more than one person who can do just about every job.\u201d<\/p>\n Fields is a polarizing figure right now with opinions slit between his being underrated and overrated based on last year\u2019s run-heavy production. But the Bears\u2019 offensive additions were geared toward shifting that balance.<\/p>\n That much seems apparent in camp where the dynamic Fields has seldom made use of his legs so far, often extending plays long past their expiration to find one of his many options.<\/p>\n The Bears\u2019 ceiling almost certainly depends on his development as a pure passer.<\/p>\n Bears Boast ‘Next Superstar’ at NFL’s Most Critical Position, Analyst Says<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nLuke Getsy: Bears’ Additions ‘Valuable’ to Offense<\/h2>\n
Bears ‘Still Figuring Out’ New Weapons<\/h3>\n
Bears\u2019 Breakout Depends on ‘Valuable’ Additions Paying Off<\/h3>\n